A Fresh Start
by Demonie0603
Summary: This is a sequel to my story Empty Words And Broken Promises, and I strongly suggest reading that first! I just couldn't let it end where I did! This could get long, so follow if you like it. Comments keep me going and all opinions are appreciated! Rated M for language and... stuff...
1. Chapter 1

Zuko POV

I couldn't believe it. It was finally over, and we had _won_! The earth kingdom was safe, the fires were put out, and my father was powerless (and bending-less) in jail where he belonged. I felt a rush of relief at the thought. It felt amazing to know that he couldn't hurt anyone else ever again. In the back of my mind I wondered why Aang didn't just kill him, but I couldn't bring myself to ask. It didn't matter now anyway, without his bending Ozai could do no harm and for that I was grateful.

I carefully tried to put on my ceremonial robes for my coronation, but my injuries were making it difficult. I flinched as I tried to put my arm in the second sleeve. As I reached down to make another attempt I heard the door to my room open.

_Maggie?_ I thought excitedly as I turned. The monotone voice that came to my ears let me know who it was immediately. I couldn't help but feel a small twinge of disappointment.

"Need any help with that?"

"Mai! You're out of prison?" I smiled and she walked over to me. She turned me around and helped me with the rest of my robes and sashes. I turned to look at her again and was surprised with a kiss. Shocked by her action I stepped back and gave her a hard glare. Not harsh, but serious.

"Mai we need to talk about this. About us."

"What do you mean? I know you 'broke up with me'," She added air quotes then continued,

"But first of all it was in a letter, and I thought you just did it to protect me!"

She stepped closer and I put my hands up defensively. I was starting to worry about her throwing knives at me so I chose my words carefully.

"Mai I meant what I said. I genuinely think that we should break up to spare your feelings. I already met someone else…"

I could feel my heart sink at the devastating look in her eyes. The moment lasted for about two seconds before the puppy eyes were replaced with those of a piranha. Her voice was shaking when she replied,

"But I thought you loved _me_? What, you just _changed your mind_?"

"No, it's not like that. I do love you, just not in a romantic way. You're my best friend and I don't want to lose you, but I can't date you while I'm in love with someone else."

The ever-gloomy girl had nothing to say to that. I saw her lips trembling, but she controlled the glassy tears filling her eyes. She turned abruptly and walked to the door. Before she walked out she turned to me and spoke with ice in her voice,

"You're going to regret this. I'll make damn sure of that."

And with that she walked out and slammed the door behind her, leaving me with the feeling of ice in my veins.


	2. Chapter 2

Mai walked out of the room with tears in her eyes and rage in her heart. She had always believed that no one could be trusted other than herself, but never thought Zuko, of all people, would be the one to prove her right. If Zuko thought they could still be friends after this he had another thing coming. Mai stormed down the hall and took a left. In her haste she ran directly into someone. She immediately recoiled and reached for her throwing knifes, ready to cut the idiot in two. Mai looked up and found herself staring into a pair of big emerald eyes. The unfamiliar girl regained her balance and immediately began to apologize.

"Oh I'm so sorry, are you alright?"

Mai discretely put her daggers away and nodded.

"I'm fine. Just watch where you're going." She started to walk away but the girl reached out and grabbed her arm gently.

"I'm actually lost, can you tell me how to find Zuko?"

Mai stiffened and jerked away from the girls touch. She gave the girl a hard glare and asked,

"Why do you want to know?"

From the blush creeping in on her cheeks Mai knew her assumption was right. It was _her_. The little tramp that stole away the only person she really cared about. She briefly contemplated ending her right then and there, but she really didn't want to go back to prison. Not yet anyway. She plastered on a fake smile and continued.

"Oh, I see. Well he's just around the corner, first door to your left."

The skank smiled brightly at Mai and thanked her. Before leaving she said,

"My name's Maggie by the way. What's yours?"

She gave the girl her deadliest smile.

"I'm Mai. I'm sure Zuko will tell you all about me."

Mai savored Maggie's confused gaze only for a brief moment before turning and walking, head held high, down the long corridor.

Maggie's POV

I watched the ebony haired girl walk down the hall and felt an odd sensation. I felt like a fly in the presence of a deadly black widow, and a shiver crept up my spine. Shaking off the unsettling feeling I followed Mai's directions and found myself at a large red and gold painted door. Before doing anything I straightened my hair and dress, making sure I was presentable. I had to change into this ceremonial outfit for the coronation, and I hoped it looked at least half-way decent on me. The hair alone was a complicated knot of braids and fire-lilies that took three maids to help me create. Luckily they were able to incorporate my hair ribbon before they finished. The dress was a kimono-looking thing with three different colored sashes and a flame design going up the back which also took a team of people to construct. Sure it was beautiful, and surprisingly comfortable, but I was seriously mourning the loss of my jeans and t-shirts. Once I was satisfied I gave the door a few raps and heard a familiar raspy voice invite me in.

I opened the heavy door and stepped into the large room. I noticed Zuko was standing to the left, looking out one of the gigantic windows. The sunlight made him seem to glow from the inside out, and I felt my heart pound in my chest. It was strange; I hadn't known him long but I knew without a doubt that I was crazy about him. He seemed to notice me for the first time and flashed a beyond sexy grin at me. My heart leapt from my chest into my throat as he walked over to me and took me in his arms. I flinched a bit when he touched my arm. It still hurt from the lightning bolt, and Katara hadn't had enough time to heal it all the way. Zuko immediately pulled away and inspected the wounded area. It was sort of pointless because the bandages were covering it, but the sentiment was adorable, and much appreciated.

"Zuko relax, I'm fine. It's only a little sore. Hey!" I grabbed his hands and made him look at my face instead of my arm. He relaxed and only looked at my arm once more.

"I'm sorry, I still feel really guilty about that…"

"Well don't. It was my choice, and trust me it was worth it."

He smiled and kissed my forehead, then led me to the other side of the room. We both sat on a red and gold trimmed couch and just talked for an hour. I wanted to know everything I could about him, good or bad. He told me all about his uncle Iroh and his tea shop. I giggled at the thought of Zuko having a customer service job. He seemed so excited for me to meet Iroh again, under better circumstances. Zuko seemed so happy I didn't want to bring up the black widow I met in the hall, but it had been nagging me for a while.

"Zuko can I ask you ab-"Just then there was a loud knock at the door, cutting me off. Zuko apologized to me and got up to see who it was. I man stood in the doorway and said something to Zuko I couldn't hear. Zuko's reply was clear as a bell though.

"What!?" I couldn't figure out what would be upsetting him until I looked at the window again. The sun had sunken significantly, and Zuko was going to be late for his own coronation. I turned to look at him and said,

"It's ok just go, I'll meet you there!"

"I'll make it up to you I promise."

And with that he was out the door and I was left alone.


	3. Chapter 3

Jack's POV

"Maggie come back! I'm sorry ok? Wait!"

I could hear Mark shouting as I rushed down the stairs. I found him in the kitchen standing at the doorway with an exasperated look on his face. I walked up to him and without thinking twice I clocked him right on the nose. Douchebag's head snapped back and he fell against one of the kitchen counters. When he regained his balance I noticed a heavy flow of blood come from his face. I felt a small twinge of triumph but it was soon replaced with fear and anger. I grabbed him by the shirt of his costume and asked,

"Where did she go?"

"I think you broke my nose!"

"Don't be a baby that's the least of what you deserve. _Where. Did. She. Go?" _

I released his shirt and waited for a response. He pointed out the door with his left hand, while the other held his nose, and said,

"She ran into the woods."

"What?!" I thrust open the door and shouted into the chilly night air.

"Mags!"

"She's gone dude give it up. Whatever, she'll just come back."

If looks could kill Mark would be six feet under by now. I tried to speak slowly so the absolute idiot could understand me in his drunken stupor.

"Mark listen to me very carefully. It's night time. That means it's both dark and cold. What happens when people go into the woods at night?"

"They… get eaten by coyotes?"

"_Lost_, moron. They get _lost_. And now my best friend is lost in the woods because of you."

"Oh…"

_Don't kill him, to many witnesses, not worth the jail time…_

Controlling my urge to clobber him was growing increasingly difficult so I quickly walked out the door and started jogging towards the woods. It was freezing and I hoped she at least grabbed her coat before dashing out. When I reached the edge I called her name again, but no answer came.

_What if she had a panic attack and passed out? Oh god her cell phone is in her coat…_

With that thought I bolted into the forest, still calling out to her and praying she could hear me.

Mark's POV

I couldn't believe the little shit actually hit me; I didn't think he had it in him. I walked over to the kitchen sink and reached into the drawer to the right of it. I pulled out a dish towel and tried to stop the gushing, all the while trying to figure out what to do. The punch sobered me up a bit and the guilt started to set in.

_I can't believe I actually hit Maggie… I've never hit a girl before…_

When the goddamn Red Sea stopped coming out my face I decided my best bet was to help Jack find her. It had only been a couple of minutes since he set out so I figured I could catch up with him. Maybe it would be rude to leave my own party, but I was 100% positive no one would notice. They were all to wasted to care anyway, so I walked out the back door and headed into the woods in search of two people who probably hated my guts now.

Jack's POV

"Maggie! Come on Mags please answer me!"

I tried my best to stay upright, but the roots under my feet had different plans. I must have tripped like four times already, but I was far from giving up. Luckily I could see because of the full moon, but the cold was becoming unsettling. Before, when I first entered the forest, I was warmed by all the adrenaline. But now for some reason I was calmer, almost like I was falling asleep, which allowed the cold to settle in. Even my voice became quieter and calmer when I shouted.

"Mags? Can you please just answer me? Marco?"

When no reply of "Polo" came I deflated a bit, but kept trekking forward until I reached a strange wall of trees. I squeezed through the barrier only to enter a large field of bluebells. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. The field was a perfect circle, and the moon lit it up magnificently. Without really thinking about it I stepped forward, towards the center of the field. I had the strange soothing urge to lay down until I heard a noise behind me…

Mark's POV

When I stepped out into the field I was taken aback at how pretty it was. It was almost unearthly; hauntingly beautiful in the moonlight. I felt almost peaceful until I spotted someone in the center of the flowers. There was Jack just standing there like an idiot. He was alone, which meant that Maggie was still missing and he wasn't doing anything about it. Jack shouted over to me,

"What the hell are you doing here? Go home asshole!"

I felt anger well up inside me. Couldn't he see I was just trying to help? I stalked towards him and yelled back.

"I was trying to help you look for Mags! Looks like you could use it considering you're still alone."

We were face to face now in the center of the meadow and I could practically feel the irritation coming from him. His voice had a serious tone, almost frightening.

"I don't want your help. If you ever step within five feet of Maggie again you'll be dead before you hit the dirt."

I believed him. His face had no hint of humor, and he was definitely not bluffing, but for some reason I chose to provoke him further.

"Yeah right. You got one lucky shot. _One_. Besides I think it's up to my girlfriend to decide don't you think?"

Suddenly Jack was lunging forward, knocking me backwards. We both tumbled downwards, but we never touched the ground. We just kept falling until suddenly the moonlight was gone and we were surrounded by darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

Maggie's POV

Zuko's coronation went smoothly, and was nothing short of awe-inspiring. It was so amazing to see all the different nations coming together like that; all ready to make a change for the better. It was sort of strange to think of Zuko as some sort of king when I hadn't even known him as a prince. He had always simply been _Zuko_.

When the ceremony ended I decided to sneak away so I could change back into my normal clothing and deconstruct my hair. Just as I was about to leave I heard a familiar voice behind me.

"Hey Maggie wait up!" I turned to face Aang and was surprised with another bear hug. When he didn't let go of me I asked,

"Hey what's this for?" Baldy released his grip and smiled at me. He sounded chipper when he answered.

"You saved my friend. I heard about what happened with Azula and I wanted to say thank you."

I felt myself blush although I had nothing to be embarrassed about. I wasn't expecting recognition for what I did, it just seemed natural to me to protect my friend. I was going to reply back when I remembered something.

"Aang where were you all that time? You just disappeared, we were worried sick!" Aang looked a bit guilty at that comment.

"It's a little hard to explain, especially since you're still new…"

"Try me." He looked up, seeming to admire my curiosity. He then proceeded to explain that he had been on the back of this ancient lion-turtle creature that taught him how to defeat Ozai. Of course I just kind of nodded and smiled, as if I knew what the hell he was talking about. At this point I was ready to accept whatever crazy shit they told me about this world, especially since I couldn't go back to mine.

"The Lion-Turtle taught me how to take away someone's ability to bend."

"Is that what you did to Ozai? Instead of killing him?"

Aang nodded and I wrapped him up in a hug of my own. I was so glad he didn't have to commit murder to win this war.

"Aang that's great, I'm so happy for you! I told you it would work out."

I pulled back just as Katara came over and whisked Aang away, claiming they needed to talk about something important. She seemed troubled so I didn't want to interfere. Aang waved a goodbye and I took the chance to leave and headed back to my room to change. Once I was back to normal I heard a knock at the door. I was hoping it would be Zuko, but instead I was surprised to see Toph standing there with one hand on her hip, looking and sounding sassy as usual.

"Hey there sweetness, you ready to go?"

Confused I asked, "Ready to go where?"

"No one told you? We're all going to the Jasmine Dragon to celebrate. You ready or not?"

I nodded and followed her out, shutting the door behind me. We walked down the hall together, silent at first, until Toph turned slightly and said,

"You feel funny. Are you ok?"

I had almost forgotten she could feel whatever I was doing. I was just thinking about the gloomy girl I met in the hall, and it made my heart feel funny. I tried to hide it.

"I'm fine…"

"Don't even try it, I'll know if you're lying."

Sighing, I figured I should just tell her. She would know if I wasn't being truthful, and it would be nice to talk to someone about it.

"I met this girl in the hallway near Zuko's room earlier. She said her name was Mai and that Zuko would tell me all about her. I didn't get a chance to ask him about it, and it's been bothering me ever since."

"Do you wanna hear it from me or Sparky?"

I thought about it for a moment, wondering what would be the right thing to do.

"I guess I should hear it from him…" Toph leaned over and gave me a little shove, nearly knocking me off balance. I looked at her and asked,

"What was that for?" She just shrugged and said,

"It's how I show affection. Anyway all you need to know from me is that Mai is Zuko's crazy ex-girlfriend. The rest should come from him."

It made sense, after all they didn't seem to be related. That would also explain the predatory look she gave me when I asked where to find Zuko. I figured after we left Iroh's Shop, The Jasmine Dragon, I could ask him about Mai. I leaned over and nudged Toph like she had done to me. She just smiled and I felt a warm feeling in my stomach. It was nice to be accepted.


	5. Chapter 5

Jack's POV

One minute I was in a field, wrestling Jackass to the ground, and the next I wake up on a dirt road being poked with a stick. I shit-you-not there was someone _poking me with a stick_. I quickly squirmed away and jumped up to see who it was. It was Mark, just standing there like an idiot. I reached forward and took the stick from him and threw it into the forest.

"Mark what the hell? What if I wasn't breathing? No by all means don't use CPR just poke me with a stick… where are we?"

I looked around me, now realizing we were no longer in the field, and it wasn't even night anymore. We were standing on a dirt road in the middle of a forest. Another thing I noticed was the temperature. It was _warm_. Like unnaturally so; almost like we were in Florida or something. Mark just shrugged and answered.

"I don't know, I just woke up."

_Bloody useless son of a… _I figured getting irritated would get us nowhere, so I took a deep breath and decided on a direction down the dirt path. I didn't look to see if Dumbo was following me, but I could hear his footsteps. I had no idea where we were, but I figured our best bet would be to find someone to help us.

_How did we even get here?_

None of it made sense, but worrying wouldn't help. We walked for about half an hour before reaching the edge of what looked like a city. It was so bizarre; it looked like a bit like ancient china or something. The people were dressed mostly in reds, golds, and blacks, and the style was so _primitive_. It was like jeans didn't exist, and that in and of itself was unnerving because I couldn't live without mine. Mark followed me in silence as we walked through the strange place. We got odd looks as we walked along, but that was understandable because we were still in costume. I was almost one hundred percent positive none of these people had seen The Little Mermaid or Alice in Wonderland. I wasn't even sure if they had electricity. Oil lamps were all that draped the city, and no one had cell phones or cars. I walked over to a man who was sweeping the front steps of a store.

"Excuse me, would you mind helping us? We're really lost."

The man gave me a once over, seeming to be confused by my outfit. Luckily he wasn't put off, and gave me some help.

"Sure, where are you trying to go?"

"Well that's just it. We have no idea where we are." The man seemed puzzled, but he was polite and continued to help us.

"Well my boy, you're in the Fire Nation." Now it was my turn for confusion, but before I could say anything Mark added,

"What's a Fire Nation?" The shopkeeper looked at him like he had five heads, and I tried to help out by saying,

"Just ignore him, he's drunk. Can you tell us how to find who's in charge here? Do you have like a mayor, or president or something?"

"You boys seem like you need a lot more help than I can give you. I recommend speaking with Fire lord Zuko. He might be able to do something. Just keep following the path until you reach the palace, it's not too far from hear."

_What is this, the wizard of Oz? We're off to see the Fire lord! What the hell is a Fire lord? Am I on acid? I mean this obviously has to be a dream. Well since Doofus is here it's more like a nightmare but…_

These were the kinds of thoughts running through my mind as I walked down the pathway as the man directed. We walked until we came to a large fountain in the center of a cobblestone circle. I wasn't sure which direction to go in, so I decided to rest for a bit. I sat on the edge of the fountain and put my head in my hands. What were we going to do? If this was a dream did we have to do anything? That's when a revelation hit me.

_What if this is what happened to Maggie?_

It was a stretch but that could be why I couldn't find her in the woods, and I know for sure if she found that field she would check it out. I felt a sudden fury at Mark. It was all his fault they were in this mess. I heard him walking over and I looked up at him with anger in my eyes.

"This is all your damn fault, you know that?"

"It is not! She didn't have to run off! She didn't even let me explain!"

"Explain what? You got wasted and slapped her! What is there to explain?"

"I thought she was cheating on me with you! Of course I was mad. I know you're in love with her, you guys are always together!"

Wow this guy was so stupid I couldn't even express how much. The fury just kept rising in me and cause me to stand up, face to face with Mark.

"She was hugging me because I told her something important, and yes I love her but I'm not _in_ love with her!"

Mark stepped closer then, testing his boundaries. Big mistake because now he was nearly within arm's length.

"Oh bullshit, what were you telling her that was so important it had to be said in a dark bedroom? I love you Mags let's bone on your boyfriends bed?"

"You goddamn idiot I was telling her that _I'm gay_! I'm gay you absolute _fucking moron_!"

I shot my arm forward, meaning to punch him, but something strange happened. It felt like my hand had a rubber band attached to it, like something was pulling me back. It wasn't strong so I shot my hand out anyway. My fist missed his face, but a stream of water rushed past me and knocked into mark, sending him tumbling to the ground.

_What the flying fuck was that?_

I turned round but didn't see anyone near the water, yet it was sloshing as though someone had disturbed it. I looked down at my hand curiously. I made the same motion and saw the water lift out of the fountain and rush past me and into Mark again. He had been trying to stand up and the second blow knocked him over again.

_What the hell? I mean that's so cool but I have to be dreaming right? This is impossible! Fun, but impossible…_

I could hear Mark sputtering behind me as he tried to stand. He looked furious and confused all at the same time. He slowly walked over to me, hands up in surrender.

"How did you do that?"

I looked down at my hands and clenched and unclenched my fists.

"I have no idea…"

"If you can do that maybe I can too?"

I shrugged and he looked down at his hands. He turned away from me and shot his arm forward like I did. Instead of water shooting from the fountain a burst of red flame came out, hitting the building in front of him. We both jumped back on instinct, Mark yelling,

"Oh shit!" The building caught fire and started going up in flames. A group of people ran over to check out the commotion, and some yelled for help. Suddenly there was a group of men in armor there, each trying to put out the flames. It was too late though, the building next to it burst to life. I shouted at Mark,

"What the hell did you do!?"


	6. Chapter 6

Maggie's POV

The Jasmine Dragon was a large, exquisite building in the Upper Ring of the Earth Kingdom's capital, or so Toph explained. It was really beautiful with two separate, broad stone steps that lead up to a neatly paved patio in front of the tea shop; in the center of the patio was a large, rectangular fountain with an interesting looking statue in the center. When Appa landed I noticed we could see the entire city from the terrace. Wide, stone steps stood before the wooden, double front door at the center of the building. At both sides of the door was a round decorative window, and located above the door is a black sign decorated with pretty golden letters to form the name of the shop. The sign was flanked by two slim, elegant golden dragons.

"It's amazing…" I said in awe after climbing off the bison. Appa groaned and I walked over to his face, giving him a peck on the nose. The poor thing had to cart us all the way to the Earth Kingdom; he deserved a thank you. When everyone was on the ground again we all headed into the shop. Iroh greeted us at the door and invited us inside.

The Jasmine Dragon was just as beautiful on the inside; all golds and greens it had an elegant flare to it. For the next hour or so we all just sat around talking and drinking the tea that Iroh made. I took a sip and burned my tongue a little, but it tasted _amazing_. It was nothing like the instant crap I used to drink back home. Zuko was serving tea to the rest of the group when I heard Sokka pipe up in the back.

"Zuko stop moving! I'm trying to capture the moment! I wanted to do a painting so we always remember the good times together."

He looked down, continuing his work, and Katara walked over to take a peek.

"That's very thoughtful of you Sokka… wait, why did you give me Momo's ears?"

"Those are your hair loopies!" He said matter-of-factly. Now everyone was walking over, inspecting Sokka's versions of them. Zuko looked down and added,

"At least you don't look like a boarcupine; my hair's not that spiky!"

Ok I had to see this, it sounded hilarious. I walked over to look at the painting and tried to bite back laughter. Suki jumped in with,

"Why did you draw me fire bending?"

"I thought it looked more exciting that way."

I looked down and felt my heart leap. He drew me with them. It looked a little funny but I felt happy to be a part of the family; the painting made it feel so _official_.

"Why is my hair on fire?" I inquired and Sokka looked down and examined his work. He answered,

"That's your ribbon, you always wear I so I drew it on you."

Momo jumped on the table and pawed at the painting, making little squeaks and chitters. Sokka turned to him and asked,

"What, you think you could do a better job Momo?"

The lemur chittered as if answering and everybody laughed at the spat between man and pet. Iroh jumped in then and added,

"My belly's not that big, I really trimmed down!"

"Well I think you all look perfect!" Said the blind girl ever so sarcastically. I was in the middle of sipping my tea and it took everything in me not to spit it out from laughing. Suddenly I looked up and noticed Aang walk out of the shop, a bittersweet look on his face. I watched as Katara followed him out, an even more somber expression on her face.

_Maybe they had a fight? _

I wondered but it seemed rude to just flat out ask. It wasn't really my business anyway. Besides I had my own problems to deal with. Everyone had scattered about, and I walked over to where Zuko was and sat beside him. He smiled and leaned forward to kiss my forehead. I felt butterflies in my stomach and fought back a blush. Zuko looked at me more closely and furrowed his brow and asked,

"Hey Mags… is something wrong?"

_Am I that easy to read?_

"No, well, I don't think so. I've been meaning to ask you about this girl I met before your coronation. She said her name was Mai and you would 'tell me all about her'."

Zuko seemed surprised, but the expression changed to something else. Fear maybe? He looked almost like he might be sick. He cleared his throat and tried to explain.

"Mai is my ex-girlfriend. I broke up with her just before you came into the picture. She was pretty mad about it…" He had a guilty expression and a slight blush crept into his cheeks. I remembered the predatory look she gave me in the hall and suddenly it all made sense.

"Well that explains the sketchy vibes she gave off. She looked like she wanted to claw my eyes out. At least now I know why." I chuckled trying to lighten the mood but Zuko's expression darkened. His voice was serious when he said,

"Maggie don't underestimate her. Mai can be dangerous, and she might try to come after you to get back at me."

"She's not that crazy… is she?"

"I don't think so, but it's better to be cautious when it comes to her."

I was going to continue when there was a loud crash. A hawk had flown into the shop, and knocked over a set of teacups. The hawk regained its balance and flew over to Zuko. I was surprised when Zuko put out his arm for the bird, until I saw the note on its back.

_So that's how they communicate here… so much for phones…_

Zuko read the note and his expression changed from serious to just plain shock. He put the note down quickly and ran outside to where Aang and Katara were. I followed him, wondering what could make him so upset. I could hear them talking, Zuko sounding worried.

"We have to go back, someone set fire to a group of buildings in the town near the palace. It's spreading quickly and they need help."

Aang quickly called everyone over and before I knew it we were on our way back to the fire nation.

_Who would do something like this? Friggin pyro…_

At least we had three water benders in our group. Surely we could put out the flames before it got to bad… I hoped.


	7. Chapter 7

Jack's POV

"What the hell did you do?!" I shouted at Mark as the building in front of us went up in flames. He just turned towards me with a frightened look on his face, growing paler by the second. His eyes went from his hand to the building and I could see his shoulders shaking. There was a group of people trying to put out the flames, and I could hear someone shout,

"We need water benders! Somebody do something!"

_Water bender? _

I looked down at my hands, remembering the fountain. I wasn't sure how it worked but if I didn't do something a lot of people could get hurt. I stuck my hand out towards the water and tried to move it. It felt a little silly at first but soon the water was sloshing back and forth, following the movements of my hand. Using all my concentration I lifted my arm, lifting the water into the air. It wobbled unstably so before it could fall I flung my arm towards the burning building. The water followed my movements and slammed into the building, extinguishing some of the flames. The surge of pride I felt was cut short as the building beside the first also started to burn. I watched the red orange flames lick up the sides of the building, and my heart sank.

_I won't be fast enough to stop it_

Maggie's POV

It took us about twenty-five minutes to reach the town (record time really) and I watched in horror as black smoke filled the sky. As Appa descended I could see several water benders attempting to extinguish the growing flames. Before the bison even touched the ground Aang jumped of and used his air bending to land safely on the roof of a building. I followed his lead, landing on the ground instead. I wasn't nearly as graceful as Aang so I landed on my knees, scraping them a bit in the process. I ignored the sting and got up quickly to run to the nearest fire. People had brought in barrels of water for the benders, and I used the one closest me to launch a spray at the flames. They hissed as if alive, and I sent another spray. I noticed Katara join me and I couldn't help but admire how graceful her movements were. I vaguely wondered if she would teach me how to bend like her. With the both of us working together the first building's flames were put out.

The next fifteen minutes felt like hours, each of us working to extinguish the town. Luckily the people living here were evacuated before the fire got too bad. Finally, when the last building was out, I fell to my knees and started coughing up a lung. There was so much smoke, and it had become hard to breath. I felt a sting on my arm and realized I had been burned. It wasn't bad though; Katara could fix it when we got back. When I regained my breath I stood up and went in search of everyone else. Somehow I had been separated from Katara, and started wandering around aimlessly.

_Do I turn left or right here? Maybe I should go up on the roof and see if I can spot anyone…_

I used a blast of air to propel myself onto the nearest roof, careful not to land on a charred one. I landed on my feet this time, and felt a rush of satisfaction.

_Practice makes perfect I guess… _

I looked all over, but couldn't see anyone. I turned around and spotted Aang hopping across a couple of rooftops. I tried to shout out to him but he was too far away to hear me. I was about to follow him when someone below me caught my eye. He was dressed differently, with a white shirt and dark pants with boots… and pitch black hair.

_No way…_

I felt my heart stop and my breath caught in my throat. It couldn't be him, could it? I hopped down and ran over to him. His back was to me, but I would know this boy anywhere.

"Jack?" My voice cracked as tears filled my eyes. The boy turned around and my eyes met a pair of baby blue ones. I ran forward and wrapped my arms around his waist and felt the tears escape and run down my cheeks. Jack hesitated a moment, as if wondering if I was real. His voice cracked too when he wrapped his arms around me and said,

"Mags, oh my god, I was so worried about you! Where the hell have you been? Where are we?"

I pulled back and looked at his oh-so-familiar face. I could barely speak, let alone answer him. I just clung to him, as if he might disappear if I let go. After a moment I pulled back and wiped off my cheeks. I could hear my voice shaking as I said,

"Oh hon it's a long story, but I'm so happy you're here! I never thought I'd see you again."

He smiled and replied, "Like you could get rid of me that easy. We're family remember?"

I laughed and felt fresh tears sting my eyes. I didn't think anything could ruin this moment until I looked behind Jack and saw _him_…


End file.
